by Holly Plum
As always, Sara Beth was her exuberant self as she launched into the outfit options Joy should consider for the evening. It was a quiet afternoon for the shop, so Joy and Sara Beth spent most of the day in the back preparing the desserts for Ivan and Fern. When the bell chimed at half past two, Joy went up to see who it was. The first laugh she’d had in days escaped her lips when she was greeted by a spunky, teacup Yorkie in a Minnie Mouse outfit.
“Aren’t you the cutest,” Joy crooned, bending down to scratch the appreciative pooch behind the ears. With the hardship of Cheesecake’s absence, she enjoyed any interaction with small, furry creatures that she could get. “Let me guess. You are headed to The Sugar Room for a free dog biscuit?”
“We certainly are,” the owner said as she smiled while her pup devoured Joy's treat with untainted relish. "But I prefer your chocolate tart to Maple's equivalent so I thought I would stop here first."
“Looks like the other dogs have some tough competition because you’re definitely the cutest one I’ve seen,” Joy replied. "And thank you for choosing Patty Cakes Bake Shop."
Sara Beth joined them and did her share of fawning over the adorable pet as well. The dog may have been headed for The Sugar Room, but the elaborately adorned pet provided exactly the laugh Joy needed to lighten her spirits.
***
Everything was set for the Wallace party. Sara Beth had worked out exactly what Joy should wear that evening and insisted that she go home early to prepare. Joy insisted she didn’t need any extra time off. Still, the shop owner did as she was told when Sara Beth ushered her toward the back door to collect her belongings and head home an hour before the bakery was scheduled to close. Joy had almost reached the back of the store when an unfamiliar sight stopped her. There was a piece of paper taped to her beloved mixer. Brow furrowed, Joy ripped the tape off and opened the note. Its contents caused her heart to plummet. It was a copy of the one she’d received on her doorstep: Confess or else.
Not only was the note disturbing, but the fact that someone had trespassed into her shop without her noticing was even more unsettling.
“Hey, Sara Beth,” Joy called, frozen in place. When there was no answer, she snapped out of her state of paralysis to make sure Sara Beth was still breathing. She exhaled a sigh of relief when she arrived in the front to find that it was the presence of a customer that had kept Sara Beth from answering her call. Joy smiled, working hard to cover up her emotions.
“Hello," Joy said. "Welcome to Patty Cakes Bake Shop.”
“You must be Joy,” the woman replied as Sara Beth collected her order.
Joy had become tired of hearing that phrase and the many events that seemed to follow it. “I am.”
“I’m Greta Dayle," the customer continued. "I’m Fern’s mother, and I have just arrived in town for her second wedding.”
Joy surveyed the woman warily. She looked like someone who usually meant business in any conversation. A career woman, no doubt, with her perfectly shaped, dark hair, red lips, and cashmere sweater.
“Can I help you with something, Greta?” Joy knew it was a stupid question, but she wanted to cut to the chase. She figured that Greta would appreciate her bluntness.
“I understand there had been some mix up regarding my mother’s will.”
“You could say that,” Joy answered, wondering what Greta's angle was. “Listen, Greta. I have no idea why your mother left me such a fortune. And, to be honest, with the way your family has attacked me over it, I doubt I’ll end up with a single cent in the end. I don’t think there’s much I can do for you. I do need to get things ready for your daughter’s pre-wedding dinner so if you’ll excuse me--”
Greta put up her hand. “I’m not after the money. Only a few possessions in her home which hold sentimental value.”
“I won’t be touching any of those," Joy reassured her. "I don't intend on standing in your family's way in that regard.”
Greta studied Joy thoughtfully. “Has my family been that awful?"
Joy let out a quick laugh as she thought about Ross Wallace turning up at her doorstep looking like a ticking time bomb. “I’ve been the subject of three confrontations, and I have received two threatening notes.”
“Two?” Sara Beth squeaked, her eyes wide.
“Threatening notes?” Greta repeated. “From whom?”
“If only I knew,” Joy said. “Though I have a feeling they could be from your brother Ross. He has made it clear that he's going to do whatever it takes to take your mother's money back.”
“My brother?” Greta rolled her eyes. “Oh, he's all talk."
“He sounded pretty serious to me," Joy responded.
Greta laughed at the thought. “Don’t worry about that. The family’s all bark and no bite, especially Ross.”
Joy wasn’t completely sold on this promise.
“I sure hope you're right." Joy shoved the note she was still holding in her jacket pocket. “Well, I don’t intend on taking any of your mother’s things, so I guess that’s it then.”
“Yes,” Greta agreed. “I’ll see you tonight at the dinner. It’ll be interesting.”
Joy’s brows rose. “That’s a nice way to put it. I’ll see you there.”
Once she and Sara Beth were alone, Joy released an exasperated sigh. “I don’t want to go to that dinner, Sara Beth. I mean, I really don’t want to go. They’re likely to eat me alive.”
“Don’t fret,” Sara Beth said. “Just deliver their order, say a few hellos, and then leave. I will come with you.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is some kind of set up.” Joy gulped. "Whoever coined the expression - the customer is always right - never met the Wallace family."
"Just remember." Sara Beth nodded assuredly. "You have really good insurance."
Joy couldn’t help smiling. Everyone needed a Sara Beth in their life.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
By the time Joy and Sara Beth reached the Diamond Shell Hotel, she’d formulated a plan. Joy told herself that all she needed to do was set up the dessert table and then quietly slip out. Sara Beth helped continue putting her nerves at ease with her constant chatter about her roommate stealing her sweet tea as the twosome made swift work of bringing trays of pastries into the ballroom where the dinner was to be held.
Joy put all of her focus on the delicious treats as she and her assistant arranged them on the scalloped dishes the hotel had provided. Fluffy wedding cookies, delectable lemon tarts, glazed donut holes, and chocolate eclairs made for an irresistible and mouthwatering display.
Everything seemed to be going well, and Joy had even managed to push aside her anxiety when Zinny Wallace appeared. He leveled her with a suspicious look. He’d clearly swallowed the lie that Joy had coerced Dorothy into changing her will. Joy didn’t allow the withering look to throw her off. She swiftly averted her gaze and went back to work making sure every pastry was perfectly aligned on their trays. However, ignoring Zinny's father, Ross, was impossible.
“I’m surprised you had the nerve to show up here,” Ross said as he approached the dessert table.
“Yes, well,” Joy replied, squaring her shoulders and turning to face him. “Fern and Ivan hired me so here I am.” She had every intention of simply going back to work, and that’s exactly what she tried to do, but Ross kept talking, his voice low with fury.
“You won’t get away with this," Ross went on. "You’re trying to act like you haven’t done anything wrong, but really, you tricked an old woman into leaving you a fortune. There’s no other explanation. The law will be on it soon enough if you don’t get your act together and do what’s best for everyone. Just confess.”
A chill went up Joy's spine when the word confess escaped his lips. Joy cleared her throat, unsure how to handle the situation. Should she accuse Ross of sending her the threatening messages, or should she pretend like the notes didn't intimidate her at all? Joy hesitated as she weighed each option.
“There you are. Oh my goodnes
s, everything looks beautiful.” Fern approached her before Joy could say anything.
Fern was shining. This was her night, and she was playing hostess rather well. If Joy had to pick one member of this family to sit next to, Fern was certainly the safest choice.
Though Fern had been preoccupied with party planning, it was obvious that Fern assessed the situation quickly. “I wish you would stay for dinner, Joy.” She turned slightly away from her uncle Ross.
“I appreciate the offer,” Joy said. “But, bakers wake up early so I really should get home.”
“If you are sure,” Fern responded. "Thank you for the food."
Joy nodded you're welcome and took a deep breath. She turned back to the dessert table, waiting for Ross to leave. When he finally did, she felt as if a bag of flour had been lifted from her shoulders. However, her relief was short-lived.
“You came after all,” Violet said as she passed Joy. "Who looks guilty now?" Violet chuckled as though she'd already had a few drinks. "I'm kidding."
Violet wore a black evening dress and diamond earrings that shone even more against her platinum blonde hair. She snagged a tartlet from Joy's arrangement. Joy forced a smile, but only to be polite. Violet's joke and ill behavior didn't bring a genuine smile to her face.
“Did you, uh, find what you were looking for last night?” Joy asked in retaliation. She watched Violet pause and collect herself.
“I did.” Violet’s tone came off as confident, but her body language made it obvious that the question made her uncomfortable. Violet glanced around before taking a step closer and whispering so that only Joy could hear her. “And I would rather not discuss that again. Ever."
“Yeah, sure” was all Joy said. She wanted to leave as soon as possible and pay Detective Sugar a visit. She'd had just about enough of the Wallace family.
“Good,” Violet replied.
Joy’s heart pounded. She wanted more than anything for the investigation to be over so that she could settle the issue of Dorothy's will. Though, part of her wondered if she should keep the money just as Dorothy had instructed. Ross would loathe her even more if she did that.
“Sara Beth, I’m going to step outside for a second," Joy mentioned. "It’s kind of suffocating in here.”
"Should I be concerned?" Sara Beth responded.
"Don't worry. All of the Wallace's are inside the building, not outside." Pointing out this fact made Joy feel better.
“I'll guard the sweets,” Sara Beth said. “Hopefully, there will still be something to serve when it is time for dessert.”
“Hopefully,” Joy repeated. She made her way to the parking lot, sitting down on the bench where a portion of the hotel staff convened during their breaks. She sighed, and she told herself that this was almost over.
After ten minutes, Joy felt as if she had regained the strength to finish the job. She stood to go back inside. However, she stopped when she noticed someone moving rapidly across the parking lot. The moment Joy realized it was Fern's husband Ivan, she ducked to hide herself.
Joy's mind jumped back to the night before when she’d caught Violet sneaking around Dorothy’s house. It looked like Ivan also had something to hide. Ivan glanced about, ducking behind cars until he made it to the back door through which he disappeared. Joy wondered if his little excursion had anything to do with the pre-wedding dinner.
Maybe it did, or maybe it didn't.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“There you are,” Sara Beth said when Joy reentered the ballroom. “You are just in time.”
“For what?” Joy asked, her eyes scanning the dessert display, already deciding that it was time to take her leave. Everything looked as good as she could make it.
“The cops are here,” Sara Beth whispered urgently. “And I'm out of sweet tea.”
"Sara Beth, that is hardly an emergency," Joy muttered. But she looked up and saw Detective Sugar on the opposite end of the room with his police team. The detective scanned the ballroom several times.
“Who do you think he's looking for?” Sara Beth asked.
Joy shook her head, hoping that her time wasn't up and the detective had come to arrest her for murder. Joy gulped, and her heart raced.
“Violet Wallace,” Detective Sugar finally said out loud. "Is Violet Wallace present?"
“Yes?” Violet answered, standing up with a glass of wine in her hand.
“You’re going to have to come with me.” Though detective spoke in a polite and quiet tone, most of the room stopped and stared. There were a few gasps, and Violet’s eyes grew to an impossible size.
“What are you talking about?" she argued. "You already interviewed me a couple of days ago.”
“Just come with me, Miss,” Detective Sugar added, speaking far less quietly now. “You’re under arrest.”
"Now isn't a good time for me." Violet laughed as she took a swig of the remaining wine in her glass.
"Violet Wallace, I am arresting you for the murder of Dorothy Wallace," the detective stated.
Violet's jaw dropped, and so did Joy's.
"You can't do that," Violet blurted out.
“Come along,” the detective said, taking her by the elbow.
Violet resisted, tears coming to her eyes. “No. No. You have no evidence. You have no proof of anything. I won’t go.”
"You heard her," Ross shouted in his daughter's defense. "Now, get out of here." His cheeks turned a fiery red.
“We can discuss this at the station," Detective Sugar firmly replied.
"There is nothing to discuss." Ross jumped to his feet.
"Let me go!" Violet yanked her arm away.
"I can't do that." The detective held his ground. "We found several of Dorothy's valuable in your apartment as well as illegal substances. You were also one of the last people to see your grandmother alive.”
Violet broke down and sobbed theatrically. All confidence melted away from her demeanor as she practically melted onto the floor. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” Violet dug her heels into the ground like a stubborn mule.
“Wait, hold on,” Ross said, stepping in the detective’s way.
“Sir, your interference will only create more of a scene," Detective Sugar responded. "Violet is under arrest.”
“You have no reason to suspect my daughter of murder,” Ross insisted.
Zinny was beside him now doing his best to intimidate the officer making the arrest. “I agree. My sister can't be your only suspect.”
“Son, it’s not your job to make these decisions,” the detective said.
“What about my aunt, Greta?” Zinny went on.
A commotion circulated through the room as the Wallace family slowly started to turn on one another.
“You’re insane," Greta responded. "You are all crazy. This is why I keep my distance. And I wasn’t even in town when the murder happened. Save it for someone else, Zinny.”
Zinny clenched his jaw and tightened his fists.
“Really Zinny?” Fern chimed in, her face white as a ghost. “Why would you say something like that on my wedding day? My mother has nothing to do with this.” Additional words from Fern on the matter were cut short when she lost her voice. Ivan came to her side immediately to comfort her.
"Oh, please," Zinny muttered. "We all know that today has nothing to do with your marriage to Ivan. It's just another excuse to throw yourself a stupid party."
"Take that back," Fern gasped. "I mean it!"
"No one talks to my daughter that way," Greta added.
"Well, no one talks to my son that way," Ross thundered back. "No wonder mom let nothing to you.
"Or you!" Greta shouted.
“Quiet!” Detective Sugar yelled over all of the chaos. The room fell silent.
"I was really hoping he would have to pop his gun to shut everyone up," Sara Beth whispered.
"You watch way too many movies," Joy muttered back.
“Now,” Detective Sugar shouted, taking control of the conversation.
“I will need to take Violet with me in spite of all of your objections. If she is indeed innocent, she has nothing to fear.”
More whispers broke out as a police officer escorted Violet toward the exit.
“What about Joy Cooke?” Ross yelled as he watched his daughter being guided out of the ballroom.
At Ross’s words, all attention was suddenly transferred to Joy. This was exactly what Joy had wanted to avoid. All eyes were on her and the moment quickly became her worst nightmare.
“That is the police's business,” Detective Sugar responded.
“She’s the one who tricked my mother into changing her will. That is much more suspicious in my eyes. I want justice, Detective!” Ross pointed at Joy.
Joy's legs felt like were turning to jelly. It took all of her strength for her to stay standing. She focused on breathing. Sara Beth stepped in front of her.
“Everyone, just calm down,” Detective Sugar stated.
Joy couldn't take it anymore. She was shocked that Violet would kill Dorothy, and she was also certain that Ross would find a way to blame her for that too. She made a swift move for the door, not caring whether or not the dessert display was finished. No matter what, it was time for her to go home.
Joy’s hands shook as she ran to the parking lot and attempted to shove her key into the ignition of her car. She’d finally gotten it started when she noticed a piece of paper taped to the windshield. Her mind feeling frozen, she reached out the window to yank it free.
Confess or else.
Joy crumpled up the note and threw it in the back seat, resting her forehead against the steering wheel. Could the culprit not think of another line? Confess to a murder she had nothing to with?
Joy brushed tears from her eyes as she backed the car out of its space and remembered the way Ivan had snuck through the parking lot earlier. This could have been what he was up to. But, he could have been delivering the note in another family member’s stead. For his wife, maybe?
Joy resisted the urge to bang her head against the steering wheel in frustration. How could the suspect be Fern? The woman had been nothing but kind to her? Joy shook her head and wondered if she was just a terrible judge of character.